Complicated Candidates
by dragontamer ri-chan
Summary: Sakura hates going home to fourteen possessive overyly obssessed men who think they have a say in who she marries. Welcome to just another day in men filled chaos. MultiSaku.
1. Chapter 1

Complicated Candidates

Disclaimer: I wish.

Sakura _dreaded_ returning home. Sure it was luxurious, breath taking, had places where she could unwind, and it's a mansion anyone would kill to have. However it wasn't the house she was dreading, but the people she lived with. Her fiancé candidates, that wouldn't take no for an answer, would be anxiously awaiting her return.

_Why did my grandma have to pick fourteen accursed betroths? Why did she have to choose any at all? I know she didn't approve of Dad, but Mom might not have married him if Grandma hadn't tried to rule her life! Why is her solution to do the exact same thing with me only with more men? Damn it!_ Sakura continued the internal tirade as she made her way home in her _kick ass_, super charged mini cooper. Oh yes she loved her car. It and that mansion's garden were the reasons she didn't want to lose her inheritance.

However that would mean either staying single forever, or marrying one of those men. She hated difficult decisions. She also hated that the ride to her place was always so short. Sakura was home.

As she dragged her feet to the door, she could already hear Akamaru howling a welcome. His owner, Kiba Inuzuka, had trained him to do that so he would always be aware of Sakura's arrival no matter where he was. Each fiancé candidate had a special gift, and for Kiba it was his five superior senses and instincts.

After all, Koharu Sarutobi aka Grandma would _never_ settle for anything less than the best for her family. In her opinion, she had picked out men who were irresistible to women kind. In most cases they were. Sakura was simply an exception to the rule.

Sakura was about to put her keys in the lock when the door was nearly ripped off its hinges by the over exuberant Naruto Uzumaki. His gift was his charisma. He could change people though he was unaware of this.

Something Kiba didn't realize when he trained Akamaru to welcome Sakura was that the other men would hear it clearly as well. It was rather interesting that the men had been as reluctant as Sakura about an arranged marriage at first. The moment they saw Sakura however, most of them took an instantaneous liking to her. The rest fell for her as they got to know her. She was simply too beautiful, too smart, too kind-hearted, too passionate, too everything they found attractive in a woman for them to resist.

"Sakura-chan, you're home!" Naruto practically screamed. As he was about to take her in a bear hug he was punched out of the way by none other than Shisui Uchiha. Shisui's specialty was speed so it was amazing that he wasn't the one at the door. _He must have just woken up._ Sakura mused as she was taken into an embrace by said man. Shisui did not like being woken up by anyone other than Sakura. To wake up and see the woman you love about to be embraced by another man would make anyone's blood boil. Multiply that feeling by ten and you have an Uchiha.

"I missed you, baby. Can I get a kiss hello?" Shisui requested/demanded, momentarily distracted from his rage. As Shisui moved to do just that he was taken roughly by the collar by one of his cousins, Itachi Uchiha. Shisui was so furious at being taken from his love that he made the mistake of looking into Itachi's eyes. Itachi's special ability was hypnotism. As quickly as he had grabbed his cousin he let go with a look of pure disgust.

As Shisui immediately grabbed a bird statue Deidara had sculpted, as Sakura was once again immersed in regret that she had torn best friends apart. Itachi would have never used his abilities on his cousin had she not come along. She often felt this because most of the guys after her affections have best-friends-turned-rivals.

Itachi instantly noticed that something troubled his beloved. _Knowing her, it's about us using our abilities on each other. She still hasn't realized that it was our feelings and our decisions that make us compete for her affections. Whatever we decide to do is not her fault!_ Itachi thought.

He had learned from watching the others one way to make her forget her guilt. It would cost him, but so long as it removed that troubled look from her face, it was well worth it. With those thoughts in mind, he tilted her head towards his and slowly moved to kiss her. Before he could move a centimeter he was tackled to the ground. This surprised him. He had been expecting Sakura to retaliate with a powerful punch, most likely to his face. Now if Sakura had decided to tackle him to the ground instead, you would not find him complaining. However it was not his lovely blossom who had pinned him. It was his violent and foolish little brother, Sasuke Uchiha. His gift was being able to copy others movements _perfectly_ just by watching and he could retain the information for later use.

"You do realize you are looking in a hypnotist's eyes, don't you?" Itachi inquired in a bored tone. The youngest Uchiha was _infuriated_ one moment and asleep the next. Itachi quickly rolled Sasuke off himself and was about to return to his precious flower when the rest of the males arrived.

Kiba was first to appear at the top of the stairs. Hidan could be heard yelling threats after him. Deidara tried to run out of the kitchen to Sakura first, but was restrained by Sasori and Gaara who each held a sandwich in one hand and one of Deidara's arms in the other. Sai came out from the library where he had been absorbed in a book. Pein and Shikamaru came from the hallway that led to the bedrooms. They had probably just woken up. Kimimaro came from the living room with a book on sword play tucked safely under his arm. Neji came out from one of the offices and did the same thing as everyone else and started making his way towards the pink haired doctor.

Hidan's ability could only be described as freaky. He could only die from three things. He could die of old age, being incinerated, or being eaten and digested. His ability ran in the family, but his father died from a being eaten by lions on his excursion to Africa. That was when he and his mother found the third way for him to die. Otherwise he could be stabbed, shot, drowned, or any other way to be killed you can think of and he would jump right back up. He also _never_ got sick. He was a medical mystery. Grandma Koharu chose Hidan in the hopes that he would become Sakura's shield. Hidan agreed because the woman played a big part in helping his mom and him out with money ever since his father died.

Deidara, Sasori, and Sai all had the same specialty: art. Deidara made his sculptures so that they exploded into the most beautiful fireworks you've ever seen. Sasori did gorgeous wood work that made him a famous entrepreneur, making everything from marionettes to furniture. People paid through the roof to get their hands on Sasori's work and to see Deidara's, but Sai had the most amazing ability of the three. He literally gave life to his drawings and paintings. No one had known this except for Grandma, but after she died Sai decided to show Sakura his gift.

Gaara also had a rather supernatural gift. He could manipulate sand with his mind. Growing up in the desert, Gaara was often called a "freak" or "monster". This pushed Gaara into becoming violent. The sand he had used to entertain himself became his weapon, a weapon no one could use against him. He was stopped when a prankster/outcast first befriended him, and later knocked some sense into him when words alone weren't enough. The prankster's name was Naruto.

Shikamaru is a genius. His IQ was over 200. Needless to say it was even higher than Sakura's, though she holds her own pretty well. He was gifted in physical as well as mental subjects. He could do just about anything, but often chose to cloud watch, sleep, or play shogi. Grandma had found out about his keen intellect through one shogi match and bribed him to become Sakura's betroth.

Pein was an inventor. He was famous for inventing scan jamming debit and credit cards, complete with remote control. How it works is there is a microchip in the debit cards. Press "on" on the remote and the microchip flashes to let you know it activated. Once active the tiny machine will jam anything trying to scan your information. Press "off" when you wish to purchase something and "on" when you're done. This way the people who use special handheld scanners to steal information are left powerless to take _your_ money. That was Pein's biggest invention, and the one that made him rich. There was no one who didn't know his name so it was easy for Grandma to find him. Sakura still doesn't know how Grandma managed to manipulate him into a betrothal agreement though.

Kimimaro is a sword specialist. He would rather make swords than use them, but he practices everyday and carries a short sword just in case. No one has ever beaten him with a sword. He was offered the finest tools and materials for sword making as well as a place to use them in exchange for becoming Sakura's betroth. It was rather amusing to him that he had tied himself to her, not knowing anything about his fiancé, in exchange for a dream come true. She started out as the price to pay, but now _she_ is his dream.

Neji was a businessman without equal. Originally it was his cousin, Hinata, who was going to take over the company, but she had neither the heart nor mind of a business woman. Her sister wasn't educated in business and doing so would have taken too long for their father's liking so Neji who had been raised to help Hinata with the company was made the heir instead. It was the best decision they could have made. Neji crushed any competitors of Hyuuga Corporations and manipulated the useful companies like puppets on a string. Yes, Neji was ruthless when it came to anything but his friends and Sakura. The only company that could actually compete with Neji's was the Uchiha Corporations.

Neji was outraged at the idea of marrying a girl he had never seen, but was forced into the agreement by his father and uncle. His uncle felt that another opportunity to gain _the_ Sarutobi's support would never arise again. His father just wanted grandkids.

Deidara managed to get free from his captors and rushed Sakura. He was taken down by Hidan who attempted to strangle him saying things like "So you thought you could get ahead with _my_ woman, huh?" We all know there were a few cuss words thrown in there so it was only natural for the other men to become enraged at hearing Hidan's curse filled claim on _their_ woman. Most of the men decided to join the brawl. Even Sai and Kimimaro who were _slightly_ more opposed to fighting went to get in a few punches.

That's when one male who went unnoticed by the others snuck behind Sakura and put a hand over her mouth and grabbed her wrists in a gentle but firm hold. Sakura mind instantly screamed _RAPE!_ However this is Sakura we're talking about. She wasn't going down without a fight. She was just about to kick him in the family jewels when he spoke.

"Relax Sakura. It's me."

_Wait. Shouldn't he be with the other guys in an all out fight? Just when I thought I could actually start to predict their movements it turns out_ HE'S _the one trying to rape me? Why do these fiancé candidates have to be so complicated?_

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this out. I know I haven't been updating as quickly as my lovely reviewers would like. I DO HAVE A REASON! It's been raining where I am and rain + chronic pain = worse pain. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I have the chronic pain in the equation. The pain is very concentrated in my hands and all my joints. However I can type and as long as I can do that I'm happy. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review if you have comments, constructive criticism, and/or requests. I will do everything I can to make the story as enjoyable as possible. Thank you!


	2. Priority

Disclaimer: I wish.

Chapter 2

Priority

"Don't look so scared. I'm just taking you away from the fighting. Those guys are idiots. It wouldn't surprise me if they got you hurt accidently." Shikamaru whispered to Sakura. Sakura calmed down when he steered her toward the gardens instead of the bedrooms.

Shikamaru was brilliant. He knew not to try anything that could make her hate him. Still he was a man with desires, and there were occasions when he acted on those desires instead of listening to his common sense. For the most part however he was content to court her slowly.

There wasn't another man in this house who could say the same. Shikamaru did his best to turn that to his advantage, but sometimes he wondered if the others were managing to touch her heart with their blatant displays of affection. Then again _all _of them were getting what little brain cells they had beaten out of them courtesy of Sakura's fists. Shikamaru chuckled in sheer delight at the thought.

"What's so funny?" Sakura wondered suspiciously.

"You know there are only a few people who make me genuinely happy. Whether it's happy about my IQ or my ability to eat whatever I want and stay fit."

"I hate that about you." Sakura stated.

"The point is Sakura only you can make me happy to be alive and no other reason. Since your uncle Asuma's death, I questioned what I was doing with my life."

"I remember you were very close to uncle Asuma. His death took quite a toll on you."

"Yeah it did. I had no real drive or purpose when he died. Not even my best friend could cheer me up. Then you come along and say 'It isn't how much time you have it's what you do with the time you're given. I hear from his wife he lived life to the fullest. I'm proud to be related to him and you should be proud to have known him.' Just like that you began to heal the wounds on my spirit. Today I'm able to laugh and be happy again because of you. That's the reason I became your fiancé." Shikamaru declared with a dead serious look in his eyes.

Slowly he reached out a hand and gently stroked Sakura's face. As always touching her sent butterflies fluttering madly around his stomach and his heartbeat jumped for joy. It felt even better when she didn't immediately slap his hand away. Slow was definitely the way to go.

As the fight began to calm down Kiba made an observation that the others had apparently overlooked. "Oh shit, she's gone!"

"She's not the only one mutt. Pein, Neji, Shikamaru, and aniki disappeared in the chaos as well." Sasuke stated coolly. However on the inside he was burning with rage. First his brother tries to steal a kiss from Sakura then he goes and steals _her_ away. He really hated his aniki.

Kimimaro said nothing. He simply walked off without looking back and began his search for his beloved. _I'll start with the gardens I suppose. Sakura loves relaxing in the gardens._ He mused.

Kiba glared after Kimimaro. He had given Kiba a nasty blow to the gut during the brawl, but Kiba shrugged it off and went to track down Sakura. After all she will always be the priority.

He caught her scent as he passed through the kitchen. She smelled like jasmine, cherry blossoms and her own unique scent. Kiba loved tracking her down. It was his favorite pastime.

Sometimes he would follow her to the hospital she worked at and just spend the whole day following her around. He was, after all, her fiancé (candidate.) Sakura tolerated it ever since he had saved her from a patient in the mental ward who was convinced Sakura was there to kill her. She was determined to get Sakura first. She had gotten a hold of Sakura's throat and was strangling her when Kiba had intervened. Sakura just thanked him for not hurting the patient. Kiba was strong so all he had done was just take the woman by the wrists and pried her off Sakura. He made sure the hospital never sent Sakura to the mental ward again. The nurses thought it adorable whenever she was working with a patient and he just waited outside the room with a love struck expression on his face. To him she was and goddess of healing and beauty.

As he continued to follow her scent he reminisced on how they first met. It was as she was coming through the gates that marked the entrance to the grounds. He was out for a run with Akamaru. He noticed her coming through the gates and knew that only the heir to the family fortune would have the key to unlock the gates. In other words the pink haired beauty was his fiancé. He was warming to the idea even as he walking toward her.

He had agreed to become her fiancé because the crazy old woman known as Koharu Sarutobi was a huge sponsor of the award winning canines that his family bred. She also supported their little vet clinic when it was in a financial bind. Basically Kiba agreed to marry a woman he had never seen so that he could repay a debt.

He never expected to fall in love, yet as he welcomed this young woman he found himself steadily becoming quite smitten. She made funny little nervous gestures and her bewitching green eyes held absolute innocence. As time passed his feelings that developed instantaneously grew stronger and stronger. The day he saved her at the hospital was the final straw. He knew he loved her and always would.

Her natural fragrance led him to the garden. That's where he found his goddess blessing _two_ undeserving men with her presence. Shikamaru and Kimimaro sat quite comfortably on either side of Sakura on the porch watching the sunset.

Kiba growled quietly. How dare they cuddle up so close to Sakura? Shouldn't they be beating the crap out of each other?

"Well at least I know Sakura isn't alone with another guy. They won't let the other try anything leaving me here to make my move." Kiba muttered. With that he went back to the kitchen and prepared two mugs of hot raspberry tea. On his way back out he stopped to grab a couple blankets. It was getting cold outside after all.

When he returned to the garden he saw what he had been expecting see in the first place. Shikamaru and Kimimaro were on the verge of a fist fight and Sakura was caught in the middle, rubbing her temples. He grinned in anticipation.

"Hey Sakura, let's go inside where it's warm and watch a movie. Oh, I brought you some tea if you want some." He offered.

"Thank you Kiba." Sakura smiled brightly. She was relieved to get away from the arguing males, but she made the mistake of looking back to see the two men looking like kicked puppies. She was probably going to regret asking. "Shikamaru and Kimimaro would you like to join us?"

Kiba frowned but shrugged it off. If that's what Sakura wanted then it was fine. After all, Sakura is always the priority.

**A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I'm also sorry that this chapter is a little short. I've done a lot of typing today so I wrote as much as I could and stopped at a good point. Don't expect any updates for the next few days. My hands need some time to recover but once they do I'll be a writing machine again. I'd like to thank my reviewers and friends for encouraging me. You motivate me to write despite my pain. I can't wait to see what you all think of this chapter so please review if you have any comments, constructive criticism or complaints. I will happily take them all. Take care everybody!**


	3. Issues

Disclaimer: I wish.

Chapter 3

Issues

Itachi wandered the house looking for Sakura. When he had noticed men missing from the fight he became concerned for her well being. The first place he had checked were the bedrooms, because all the men wanted to be in there with her. He was elated she wasn't there with another guy, but disappointed he hadn't found her. By this time his worry was developing into a full-blown panic attack, not that it showed other than the thin layer of sweat on his brow. He would never admit to anyone that he had medication worthy anxiety. It could be seen as a weakness. He was ashamed enough that Sakura knew, and yet at the same time he was grateful because it had brought them together.

Before Sakura, no one knew. His parents, his brother, and even his best friend didn't have the slightest inkling that the enormous amounts of pressure his father had put on him had led to a breakdown, both physical and mental. He had wound up in the hospital. At the time Sakura was working as an intern studying to become a doctor.

_-Flashback-_

_Itachi was so frustrated with the doctor for just wanting to put him on medication and discharge him. Eventually, Itachi used his skill of hypnotism to order the doctor to find someone who would actually attempt to understand he needed so much more than a pill. The doctor had come back with a young woman with pink hair and green eyes who simply pulled up a chair and said that she heard he needed someone to listen to his problems._

"_I'm no psychologist but if it's just listening I'd be happy to." She had said with a shy smile. That smile was his undoing. He confessed everything about his father who pressured him until he cracked. He told her about the mother that didn't acknowledge problems. He described to her everything about his little brother that tried so hard to earn his father's praise and was crushed when he couldn't. He explained hypnotism to her and how it was suppose to be a way to distract himself yet his father wanted to use it to further his own ambitions. All in all he completely exposed everything he had ever been anxious about in his life. _

_By the end of it all his fists were clenched and his teeth were clenched, but he had not spilt a single tear. He was shocked to find that Sakura was crying instead._

"_Why are you crying?" He asked finding himself suddenly shy and confused at the same time._

"_I know now why you don't want any medications. It's because they won't make those problems disappear. They're just a temporary fix. Am I right? I'm crying because I know I can't really do anything to help you." Sakura stated with her head bowed. Then, abruptly she raised her head with a determined look in her eye. "Itachi, you have to talk to them. If you're anxious about then you should take the medication beforehand. Don't use the medication to solve the problem; use it to help you solve the problem."_

"_I can't let them know about my breakdown!" Itachi exclaimed._

"_You don't have to. You're an adult after all. Just tell them that it was a sign of protest for the way things have been lately. You could even tell them that you just needed a break from everything. Do you think that would work for you?" Sakura questioned tilting her head to the side._

_Itachi turned his face away to hide his blush. She was cute yet beautiful at the same time. He knew that she would be dangerous to men everywhere. Somehow the thought made him … jealous. He most definitely didn't like the idea of other men stumbling upon this discovery of a beautiful and intelligent young lady._

_After he was discharged Itachi took Sakura's advice and took some medication before he had a talk with his parents. He had also developed a new goal, which was to find Sakura and make her his. Easier said than done since not long after he met her, she had moved and practically disappeared all together. It was as if she had packed all the information on her with all her belongings and disappeared. It should _not_ be so difficult to find a _pink _haired girl! Imagine his surprise Koharu Sarutobi shows up saying she wants Itachi, Sasuke, _and _their cousin Shisui to become fiancé candidates for her granddaughter. Itachi was on the verge of telling her that he already had someone when she stated her granddaughter's name was Sakura._

_-End flashback-_

Itachi didn't dare to hope it could be that easy at first, but when she mentioned that her granddaughter was a lovely girl with _pink_ hair and green eyes he immediately agreed. What he didn't count on was his agreement spurring his younger brother and best friend/cousin into agreeing as well.

The next thing he knew Itachi was frozen in his tracks by the sound of Sakura's laughter. He shuddered in pleasure at how it danced down his spine. The first thought that occurred to him was not so pleasant. _Is another man making her laugh?_ That's when he heard the TV and released the breath he wasn't aware he was holding. However he found himself quite disturbed when he saw that she was with _three_ other men that were huddled close to her. It could not be denied. He had issues.

Pein sighed yet again. He was brilliant, there was no denying it. He knew that, yet he felt like an idiot. Sakura Haruno was driving him insane. He had _never_ been so wrapped up in someone before! He groaned as he looked around his room. Picture upon picture of Sakura surrounded him. Some were taken with a regular digital camera. They were the ones where she smiled directly into the lens. You could tell which ones he had snapped in secrecy with his latest invention because she wasn't looking at him at all. He called this creation the digital watcher. It was an ordinary digital watch on the outside. It was one of the smallest cameras in the world on the inside. It was small alright, yet it was still highly advanced. He felt like such a stalker! He looked at some of his latest pictures and even some videos of his obsession on the digital watcher. Scratch that, he is a stalker.

He went to the front of his original security system, or in other words his high tech locked door and said the pass words to get out, and yes you had to say different words to get in and out. He usually stuck to Japanese and the Latin translations, but recently it's been turning more and more towards things to do with Sakura.

It's funny because he had come here with every intention of hating Sakura as much as he hated Koharu. When he agreed to become her fiancé he felt like he had just sold his soul to the devil. In some ways he was still convinced he had. Who would have thought that it was an angel that would be waiting for him?

_-Flashback-_

_Back before Pein's inventions were famous, his sister Konan was very ill. She had a super bacterium in her system. It was immune to every antibiotic that he could afford. Konan and he were orphaned when they were teenagers. Their parents were virtually penniless and, by default, so were they. When Koharu Sarutobi appeared on their doorstep offering antibiotics and investments in Pein's inventions they thought it was a miracle. However this "miracle" came with a price. Pein had to promise his future, his protection, and – if necessary – his very life to a woman he had never even seen. Pein didn't hesitate. After all, Konan is all he has._

"_Please Sarutobi-san I'll do _anything_ to save her!" Pein begged._

_Konan was both stunned and touched. Her apathetic, proud, and brilliant brother was begging. In that moment there was no one she hated more than this old woman even if said woman was saving her life._

_Koharu had a satisfied smirk on her face. If Konan had the strength she'd smack it right off._

"_Very well, Pein-san, I will save your sister and make you wealthy, but should you go back on your word I vow to make both your sisters life _and_ your life into a living hell, but you_ _already know that don't you? You are after all a very clever boy." Koharu promised and praised at the same time._

"_Yes, I understand." Pein resigned with his head bowed. Anyone who knew him would know that was no easy task, but for the only person he truly cared about he would do this much at least._

_-End flashback-_

Pein wasn't sure when resentment had turned to love or love into obsession. He remembered when she first arrived he had glared at her. For some reason this made her spend most of her free time around him. When he asked her about it she responded that she didn't like being hated and thought that with enough time in her company he could get over his dislike. He could not have known how right she was. After she got to know him she started to take care of him. When he was up all night she prepared him a cup of sleepy time tea the only explanation he got was that she was a doctor and could tell at a glance when he wasn't getting enough sleep. Eventually she would base when she needed to make a cup or a whole pot based on his behavior and progress on his work.

She knew when he needed space. It was almost always when he was writing to Konan. When she left him alone the others would follow her where ever she went and as time went by he didn't need nearly as much private time. Soon he began to crave her company. More time passed and his inventions went from seeing to everyone's needs to seeing to Sakura's (and his) needs. Then he invented the digital watcher and it all went downhill from there. Oh yeah he had issues.

**A**/**N: For those of you who were expecting this much later all I can say is the plot bunnies multiplied. I hope you enjoyed the anxious Itachi and Pein the stalker. I know I did. Once again I'll be down for a couple days. I over did it again today, because I had to get these ideas down. You can expect the next update to be anywhere from three days to three weeks. It shouldn't take me over a month. Who would you like to see next? So far I have a vote for Sasori and Deidara. Let me know if you like what I'm doing or if you hate it. Please review.**


	4. Gingers

A/N: Don't hate me! I know I said it wouldn't take long, but I got sick and my creative gears ground to a halt. I got better for a little while only to get sick again. That's why you had to wait so long. I did my best to make it worth the wait. That's all I can do. One last thing I have nothing against gingers and if you must know I am one. Don't take the title of this chapter personally!

Disclaimer: I wish.

Chapter 4

Gingers

Sasori stood there behind the corner to the hallway that Itachi was standing in, waiting to see what the Uchiha would do. Ugh, he _hated_ to be kept waiting. Why was Itachi waiting so long? Was it because he knew Sasori stood there waiting for Itachi to make a move so that he could swoop in and take Sakura for his own? No, Itachi wouldn't realize that with Sakura right in front of him. He was simply incapable of focusing on anything other than Sakura when she was around.

"Would you like to join us Itachi?" Sakura questioned sounding like an exasperated angel. Sasori's eyes narrowed in jealousy. This wasn't supposed to happen. Itachi was suppose to get possessive and start another brawl where Sasori would employ the strategy of her kidnapper and whisk her away in the chaos.

Like many of the men in the house, Sasori didn't come here because he was promised a beautiful fiancé. He came simply because he was looking for a model for one of his paintings, and when Sakura's grandmother showed him her picture, he knew he had found his model. Falling in love with his model is what made him stay. Itachi making his way towards Sakura brought him back to the present and his current dilemma. It's time to improvise.

"May I join as well Sakura?" Sasori requested in his gentleman voice. It was the voice he reserved for Sakura alone. She was the only real match for him. Instead of flinging herself at him when she first met him, Sakura had been angry. In her anger she positively radiated barely contained power and beauty. He became enamored with her then and there.

She was the one who taught him that you didn't have to be eternally beautiful to leave your mark on the world. She taught him that what remained eternally beautiful in art was the heart and soul that artists put into their masterpieces. She had the most beautiful heart and soul of anyone he had ever seen. That's how he knew that she would always be beautiful to him.

"Of course you can Sasori. Besides even if I didn't want you to stay, I'm sure you would find a way to do so anyhow. You can be quite the bully when you want to be." Sakura grumbled.

_How right you are, my love._ Sasori grinned while Itachi glared. Mission accomplished.

Gaara sighed in frustration. How could he lose someone he was usually so aware of? Was it really so hard to suppress his violent side? It shouldn't be after getting to know Sakura. Yet the moment he saw the first punch excitement had coursed through him. He still couldn't completely contain his inner sadist. Sakura might hate him for that. At the thought of his pink haired love too horrified to have anything to do with him, it felt as if a fist had somehow gotten past his muscle and bone to strike his heart directly. It was not a pleasant feeling.

Gaara clutched his chest practically despairing. That was one of the problems that came with not being able to accept yourself. You became depressed and occasionally violent whether it was towards yourself or any person who caused you pain. Naruto had been the first person to accept him and became his best friend. Sakura had been the first and only girl who wasn't scared of him and stole his heart. He would do anything for Sakura. He could no longer say the same about Naruto because there was simply no way in _hell_ he would let that blonde idiot have Sakura.

Even though the pain was beginning to pass Gaara still grasped his chest as if in agony. Wouldn't you know that Sakura chose that moment to come by? He didn't want her to see him like this. He would look weak. He turned away to try and compose himself before facing her. He sure as hell wasn't about to leave her again in this house of lust driven males. Besides that, it would look like running and make him seem even weaker.

Sakura instantly went into her nurturing doctor mode the second she saw Gaara with his face twisted in pain. Gaara was a rare case where the link between his emotions, mind, and body was so strong that negative emotions could cause him physical as well as emotional pain. It was like when a woman wants to be pregnant so badly that her body responds to that desire by giving off symptoms of pregnancy. The only difference was that Gaara didn't want this pain so naturally Sakura had to help.

Sakura rushed over to him despite his cry to stay away. She had a horrible feeling that this pain was somehow caused by her so she simply had to do something to ease it. With gentle hands she turned his face towards her. Gaara was panting like he had just run a marathon. She carefully wiped the sweat from his brow, sweeping his bangs aside in the process to reveal the "love" tattoo on his forehead. She didn't say anything knowing that whatever she said had a high possibility of having a negative effect, especially if it wasn't what he wanted to hear. Instead of using words she leaned forward and tenderly kissed his tattoo.

Gaara's control broke then and there. He pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her like he never wanted to let her go. He really didn't, but he knew he would have to eventually so he savored every moment she was in his arms. He didn't know how long they stayed like that. He just knew that occasionally he would attempt to further convey his adoration by kissing her neck or cheeks chastely yet still passionately.

For once Sakura wasn't nervous from the displays of affection mostly because she knew Gaara just wanted to hold her. She knew he wasn't trying to force himself on her. He was seeking comfort from a loved one, pure and simple. How could she refuse him that much after the many times she had seen firsthand how much pain rejection caused him? Simple, she couldn't. Instead of pushing him away she _tentatively_ wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back.

This reminded Gaara so much of how he first came to love her. Naruto had just told him that they shouldn't be too friendly with each other since they were rivals now. Gaara had felt like he had just lost his best friend and he didn't even like Sakura at the time! Her Grandma had threatened and blackmailed him to become her fiancé. Without Naruto to keep him under control he slowly became more and more hostile towards a woman who he had been trying to avoid previously. He didn't beat her or anything like that. It was more like bullying really. He would make her late for work by taking files she brought home and hiding them. He wouldn't cause her pain but he took pleasure in getting her frustrated and in trouble. That's when she caught him red handed and confronted him.

_-Flashback-_

_Gaara had just picked up the file he intended to hide when the door swung open. Their stood a furious pink haired girl that all the other guys were drooling over, looking as ferocious as a kitten. If Gaara had eyebrows, one of them would have risen._

_She stomped right up to him and poked his chest in accusation. "Look here, buddy. I don't care how much you dislike me and my grandmother, but taking it out in these childish pranks is no way to handle it. Do you not realize that I'm a doctor and if everything isn't kept organized it could be terrible for a patient. If you keep doing this not only will you get me fired, but it could end up being terrible to the patients who are _suffering_ because of your little game! The other day a prescription that was supposed to go to an adult patient almost went to a child. That child could have ended up in the ER due to overmedicating!" She shouted at him. By this time Gaara was glaring hard at her but she had yet to show any sign of backing down. "It's obvious you have a problem with me, and I'm sorry for whatever upset you but you need to grow up and confront me about it! Leave my job and my patients out of it!"_

_"Do you really want to know what problem is? FINE! My problem is that you took away the only friend I ever had! You and your damned Grandmother took everything! If I contact my family or try to back out of this engagement thing I go to prison! If that isn't bad enough you took my only friend from me by having him fall for you!" Gaara hissed as he doubled over from emotional and physical pain. He was way too worked up. His heart and head were pounding and the pain was borderline unbearable. The edges of his vision darkened and he felt like he was about to vomit._

_Sakura was there in an instant. Her hands took his right hand that massaged his head and began rubbing and pushing on certain spots. When she used one of her hands to press spots between his thumb and forefinger the pounding in his head and the nausea both eased. With her other hand she gently rubbed circles on his back. Gaara looked at her suspiciously._

_"What did you do?" He inquired calming down._

_"That was acupressure. I pushed certain points in your hand to ease the pain in your head without the use of medication. As for why I was rubbing your hand that was to ease the immense tension in you." Sakura sighed getting up to leave. Gaara caught her hand before she could get very far._

_"Why did you help me?" He questioned._

_"I became a doctor because I hate seeing people suffer. I don't like you, but that doesn't mean I want to see you in pain. If I'm a real doctor then it's impossible for me to be picky about who I want to treat, because I don't want to see _anyone_ in pain. That's what I believe at least." Sakura retorted. Gaara smiled. He was starting to see why Naruto and the others were so attracted to her._

_-End flashback-_

Gaara had realized now that the moment when she came to help him that first time was when he had fallen. He had been pitiless towards her yet she treated him as if he were one her patients. She really was more compassionate than an angel. Not to mention she was a damn good doctor.

It had only just occurred to Gaara that Sakura didn't have anyone else with her. _What's up with that? Wasn't she kidnapped?_

"Sakura what are you doing here? I thought you were dragged away from the fight by someone. I know that they wouldn't leave you alone so what's going on?" Gaara verbalized.

"Oh, everybody fell asleep watching while watching a movie so I was going to see who else was awake and then maybe go to sleep myself afterwards. I'm glad I found you. Who knows what would have happened if you were just left like that?" Sakura stated as she moved away, or rather attempted to move away since Gaara did not appear to be letting go. She looked up at him only to find him smirking. Just as he was leaning forward to claim her mouth something big and black came bounding down the hallway and tackled Gaara then just kept on running. Gaara wondering what just hit him as he looked up only to find Sakura had disappeared without a trace. With a growl of frustration he ran after the creature to find out what it was and who sent it. If he figured out that much maybe he could get a clue as to where Sakura was now.


	5. Artistic Chaos

A/N: I know. I suck for making you wait. Blame school. Anyway as you will read this chapter is mostly about Sai with some Deidara time at the end. I will go more into detail with Deidara in the next chapter. Without further ado, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I wish.

Chapter 5

Artistic Chaos

When Gaara left to follow the inky black panther that Sai had painted, he was finally able to release the breath he was holding. However, that did not mean he was willing to let go of the girl he held close to his chest. If it were up to him she would always be right there, as physically close to his heart as she could be. It was the very heart she had saved.

"Thanks Sai. Gaara took me by surprise back there. His recovery time astounds me!" Sakura stated rather sheepishly.

Sai smiled his genuine smile, the one only Sakura got to see. "Sakura I'll always be there if there's even the slightest chance that you need help. After all you've been there to assist me ever since that time, you know?" Sai lovingly voiced his affections time and time again, but it was rare for him to talk about anything having to do with "that time." Though he didn't show it, Sai desperately wanted all of Sakura's attention on him. He couldn't help it after knowing that she had spent half the night with other men. He really needed his Sakura time.

Sakura did indeed know what Sai was referring to. "That time" was when Sai had been admitted to the hospital for severe blood loss and internal injuries. It was just after Sakura had moved in when Sai had been almost beaten to death by his own father. His dad had always had an abusive streak, but more than anything he wanted money to feed his addictions to both drugs and gambling. That's the only reason Sai wasn't dead. If Sai hadn't been able to work and bring in a pay check then who knows what would have happened?

Over time things began to escalate, especially after Grandma Koharu stepped in and presented the opportunity to get out of debt in exchange for Sai becoming one of Sakura's fiancés. At first Sai had said that they didn't need her help. That earned him a beating on the spot, right in front of Koharu Sarutobi. Instead of reporting it as she should have, Koharu decided to take advantage of the situation. Later she met with Sai privately and offered the one thing he truly wanted. She told him that if he cooperated, she would give him everything he needed to be free from his father. Still Sai was reluctant. Koharu knew she had to make the deal even sweeter so she proclaimed that she would also send his father to rehab if he could show her a special talent. That is when Koharu Sarutobi discovered Sai's ability.

_-Flashback-_

_Sai's father didn't last long in rehab and before long he was hunting Sai down for leaving him without any money. He had basically wanted to sell Sai to the Sarutobi, but now everything was falling apart. He blamed his son. He spread a rumor that he was a changed man and wanted just to see his boy. Eventually that rumor reached Sai._

_Sai was out helping Sakura. She had only arrived a few days before and Sai was slowly beginning to view her as a friend. They were out buying groceries when Sai heard the rumor. The next day after Sakura went to work he disappeared. Next thing he knew he was being taken to the hospital while his dad was arrested for attempted murder. After that he started to slip into unconsciousness. When he regained consciousness the first thing he saw was Sakura. She looked so worried about him it simply melted his heart. No one had ever looked that way because of him._

_She was clearly exhausted with a tired but blissful smile on her face. She was by no means looking her best but to Sai she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. That's when the nurses came in. They cooed about how cute the two of them were and they squealed at Sai's confused face. One of the older nurses came around and told Sai about how worried Sakura had been. Sai was getting tired again so Sakura shoved all the nurses out and asked if he needed anything. Sai just took her hand before fell asleep and quietly mumbled his confession._

_"I love you." He whispered._

_-End flashback-_

After all that had occurred Sai still wasn't very good with emotions. He had always expressed himself silently, through his art. That was simply how things were before his heart suddenly came alive the day Sakura saved him. It was more shocking and beautiful than anything he could actually express in all the colors of the world. That still didn't stop him from trying. He painted everything from a lightning storm in an iceberg to an erupting volcano all of which was meant to express his feelings.

Sakura, however, tried to get him to speak for himself, not just bottle it up and dump the contents onto a canvas. She had pointed out time and again that not everyone would understand just by looking at his work. Sai always tries for her, but even though "love" is one of the most powerful words in the any language, it still didn't seem adequate.

Suddenly he was knocked from his thoughts by none other than Sakura herself. She was shifting in his arms and most likely just trying to get out of his grasp. However she also happened to be squirming against his body as he held her _very_ tightly. It seemed that romantic love came hand in hand with another feeling called lust. Sai shivered slightly from the pleasure.

As Sai was lost in his euphoria, Sakura was beginning to realize the situation she was in. She was struggling to get out of a grip that was about to break her in two if she didn't press herself _completely_ against a man – a turned on man at that – who desired her affections. She realized it all too late.

It happened extremely fast. Sai spun her around and crashed his lips onto hers. One moment he was kissing the living day lights out of her and the next he was forced off her by an enraged beyond belief blond pyromaniac. It's something everyone instinctively knows, but these boys chose to ignore. Don't piss off the pyro.

Deidara looked ready to kill someone in a savage and brutal way. It was unlike the laid back artist yet at the same time it was not at all surprising. He was undeniably gentle with Sakura, he brawled with the boys just like all the others did, and he joked with her as well as with them like they were all best friends. He could be tender and compassionate one moment and a total ass the next.

There was just one issue that could require a councilor. Deidara was an extremely passionate man, but he tended to also be quite violent when angered. He loved Sakura with all his heart, and would beat to a bloody pulp anyone that _dared_ to force themselves on her in any way. In other words, Deidara was not a happy little camper right now. Sometimes Sakura thought he was bipolar … or schizophrenic.

That's when Deidara snapped her out of her thoughts by practically throwing Sai into the wall. Sakura decided now would be a good time to intervene. The older man looked ready to deliver a vicious blow that would be quite painful if she didn't step in. She took the hand he was about to punch Sai with into her own and slowly brought it down.

Though he didn't take his eyes off Sai, Deidara visibly relaxed at and into her touch. Sakura noticed that he still seemed angry, but the most dominant look on his face was one of exhaustion. It was probably from running around the mansion looking for her. She tugged gently on his hand.

"Deidara, don't you think it's getting a little late in the evening for a fist fight?" Sakura asked feeling as tired as he looked.

"It's after midnight so technically it's morning." Deidara replied in a flat tone that was so not Deidara.

"Stop being a smartass and go to bed." She ordered rolling her eyes.

"Care to join me?" Deidara teased knowing what she would say.

"Oh hell no, so get to bed or I can whack you over the head with a frying pan and let you sleep in the hallway … again."

"You win Sakura." Deidara laughed holding up his hands in submission. He kissed her on the cheek before going to Sai and telling him to keep his hands off Sakura. Soon after he was off to his bedroom thinking of the first time he met Sakura.

Sakura went over to Sai who was glaring after Deidara but was still unwilling to follow him and leave Sakura. Sakura looked at him and sighed. He looked wiped out too.

"Go to sleep Sai. We're all tired and if you miss breakfast I won't be making a second one." Sakura told him knowing that her home cooking was his weakness. It was enough to convince him.

Soon, Sai left towards his room after kissing her other cheek before her tired senses kicked in so she could retaliate. She let it go this time, but if someone else kissed her or even attempted to she would not stand by again. In order to accomplish that she wandered off toward her room, locked her door, and fell asleep.

Meanwhile Deidara was off dreaming of her and how he fell in love.


	6. Guardian Artist

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to GeekCheerleader! She's my buddy and an awesome author. She's always supporting my stories and I love her for it. Her stories have a way of cheering me up on my darkest days. You rock girl!

Disclaimer: I wish.

Chapter 6

Guardian Artist

_Deidara was standing on the porch creating his latest masterpiece. The mutt-boy had introduced their fiancé to them and for reasons he could not yet fathom, he could not stop thinking of her. Her eyes had widened when they landed on her betroths and she had looked like she was about to faint… for about half a second._

_In half an instant she roared to life like the fireworks he spent so much time on. In her fiery fury she had been the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. She had gone off on an insanely long rant about how creepy her grandmother was and how just plain wrong it was to have so many fiancés. He knew all the men had been stunned by her passionate nature and even respected her. Some of them had even fallen for her._

_Deidara frowned at the thought. Did they think about her constantly as well? He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Deidara considered her to be his inspiration, but did that mean he was like the others? Deidara scoffed. He was a pure and original genius. There was just no way he could be compared to those idiots._

_All of a sudden his muse rushed out onto the porch. She looked disheveled and flustered. As usual she was breathtaking. Her eyes widened as they landed on him, but were immediately drawn to the small bird-shaped lump of clay he was working on. She watched in fascination as his hands continued working despite how his eyes were on her, studying her expression and memorizing her face._

_For that one moment in time there was no one but the two of them. In an unconscious effort to elongate this moment his hands slowed, though Deidara never took his eyes off his muse. She gazed in child like awe as he put the finishing touches on his piece with a small detailing tool he always kept close at hand._

_As soon as it was done he held out his hand to show her. For reasons he had yet to fathom he was desperately seeking her approval. She stared at the clay phoenix in absolute wonder and it completely melted his heart. He never thought he would be jealous of his own artwork. _

"_May I?" Sakura asked with a soft and hesitant voice. She reached out as if to touch the little yet magnificent phoenix but stopped herself just before making contact. She had no idea that as she looked up at Deidara, seeking his consent, his heart was racing from having her eyes on him. He was experiencing an entirely foreign feeling of wanting to snatch her into his arms._

"_Please do, yeah." Deidara wished he could have been a bit more eloquent or witty in his reply but his wits had abandoned him as had his natural confidence. He knew that a word from her could restore it in a split-second or banish it forever._

_Sakura picked it up and the awed look in her eye and the careful handling of the little mythical bird told him more than words ever could. His heart swelled at the delighted smile that overtook her face. She was inspiration personified, and she would be his._

Deidara was jerked from his beautiful dream/memory by loud banging on his door. With a frustrated grunt he made his way to the door in the sweatpants he slept in and opened it hoping it was Sakura but suspecting otherwise. His suspicions were correct. Sasori was standing there glaring at him as if he'd done something wrong when he hadn't had a chance to do _anything_ as of yet.

"What do you want Sasori?" Deidara groaned out.

"Get dressed and hurry down to breakfast. Sakura's waiting for everyone else before eating today and you know what that means." Sasori growled out not liking the fact that he had to be away from his precious woman in order to wake up a lazy bastard like Deidara.

"She's going grocery shopping?" Deidara shot out of bed and pulled out clothes so quickly he was practically a blur. After all it was finally his turn to go on a supply run with her! This meant _much_ less competition since Sakura only brought two or three guys with her. The chances of getting her alone were much higher than normal. Deidara couldn't help but grin at the thought. He had approximately 30 to 45 minutes to just be near her without interruption. Even if there was another guy or two he could just wait until they were distracted and then take Sakura and go somewhere they could just be together.

The moment he was dressed he shot down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sakura, who looked as gorgeous as a sunrise, already had the grocery list out as well as the chart that told her who to take with her. The chart was a blessing to those who hadn't gotten to go grocery shopping with that month. To those people who had gotten to go, it was evil incarnate telling Sakura not to spend time with them. In the past Hidan had even tried to burn it partly so he could go with her again on the next outing, but mostly to piss Sakura off. He always said she was "fucking hot as shit when she lost her fucking temper."

When Sakura was still new to the house Hidan's every curse word about or directed towards her would get him a beating. When the men realized he liked making Sakura lose her cool they beat him up for her. Deidara would be especially violent towards the man. He absolutely _despised_ Hidan.

Suddenly Sakura raised her head and everyone knew what that meant. She had looked over the chart to make sure she hadn't made a mistake and sighed. She knew who was going with her. The men who hadn't gone yet were looking at her expectantly while the ones who had were just praying that there would be at least one person who would protect her from the other pervert or perverts going with her. There was always one who tried something.

"Alright listen up. Today it's going to be Deidara, Sasuke, and Hidan who go with me." There was a cry of protest from all the males at the name called, but Sakura paid them no heed. It happened every time they went through this. "Calm down!" Sakura shouted over the noise. "It's their turn and there's not much we can do about it so let's just get it over with."

"I knew you fucking loved me." Hidan declared smugly while attempting to pull Sakura into his lap as she walked by. Before he could even touch her Shisui got between them and helped Sakura into her seat in the center of one side of the overly long table. She used to sit at the head of the table but that caused brawls every time they ate over who would sit closest to her. There were still squabbles now but they were less intense.

Sakura sighed. Shisui and Hidan were yelling at each other and soon Sasuke and Gaara joined in telling them to shut up which only made them louder. Out of nowhere Naruto attempted to jump across the table, but someone (it looked like Kiba) grabbed his foot mid-leap, and he came crashing down on the food that hadn't been scooped out of the plastic serving dishes and onto paper plates. Good thing they stopped using the expensive china after Sasori had thrown Deidara across the table in one of their more _heated_ art arguments.

Sakura was snapped out of her thoughts when Deidara placed his hands on her shoulders and began rubbing. He tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes, silently asking permission to continue. She nodded minutely and he continued his little massage until Sai noticed his position and returned the punch Deidara had given him the night before. This started a brawl which turned into a food fight. Sakura didn't know what it turned into after that. She left the moment she saw the first pancake fly. Sakura felt a vein throbbing in her forehead from her frustration, but heroically ignored it as she went to eat breakfast in the TV room. She was so going to make those men clean the kitchen when she was done.

-At the grocery store-

Sakura was walking along an isle wondering what could have possibly possessed her to take Sasuke, Hidan, and Deidara on a group outing. Honestly she didn't know what she was thinking. They were bad enough individually but _together_ they were impossible. The three of them hating each other didn't help matters either. She was usually so aware to make sure this didn't happen. She had just wanted to get the perverts out of the way so that next time she could have a relatively quiet outing with Kimimaro and Neji. She regretted her decision as soon as they were in the car.

-Flashback-

_Sasuke and Hidan would not stop arguing. Despite it mostly consisting of the usual hn's and curses, it was still annoying as hell. Meanwhile Deidara (who claimed the passenger seat for his own) played with Sakura's hair as she was driving. It was distracting as hell and made the yelling from the two in the back that much worse._

_The moment they were out of the car Sakura smacked all of them causing Deidara to whine, Sasuke to sulk, and Hidan to (you guessed it) cuss. Then Hidan made a suggestive remark about foreplay and Sasuke and Deidara were using him as a punching bag. Sakura thought that they were rather violent today, but shook it off when she reminded herself that they were like this every day. When they were actually in the grocery store she said that due to their behavior they were going to split up. That almost started another fistfight over who would get to go with her before she stated that they were all going to four different corners of the store and meeting in the middle._

_Sakura noticed the guys seemed apprehensive about leaving her alone, but she assured them she would be fine. Eventually Hidan ended the hesitation by kissing her quickly yet passionately on the lips and practically sprinting to his corner of the store with Deidara trying to kill him the whole way. Sasuke shrugged and, though angry, decided Deidara could kill him while he went to get his share of the food. Sakura was about to walk away so he quickly grabbed her hand, pulled her into his arms, and gave her the fastest peck he could manage before trotting off to his corner of the store._

_Sakura put her hand over her repeatedly assaulted lips with a blush on her face. No matter how many times they kissed her it still embarrassed her. She would never say it out loud but she was truly shocked at how tender Sasuke had been when he was usually so aggressive in everything he did._

-End flashback-

Sakura came out of her own little world when she spotted the pastas. She made her way over and was reaching for the last box of linguini on the top shelf, but couldn't quite reach. Suddenly a hand appeared above hers and stole the box just beyond her fingertips. When she spun around, she found herself face to chest with a tall and handsome young man. Sakura saw he was offering the box out to her and smiled despite the slight shiver of foreboding that ran up her spine. Something about him didn't feel right. Sakura looked at him again and shook off her unfounded fear as paranoia. However when she thanked him and tried to take the box his friendly smile turned into a cocky smirk. He grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her close.

"I don't believe I caught your name, Beautiful. How about you and I go to the register, check out, and go for some tea? We can go some place quiet and… get to know each other better." Just his voice and the way he looked at her made her feel dirty.

She saw it in his eyes. To him she was a hot piece of ass and that was it. It made her actually miss her boys. Some of them did see her like that once upon a time, but in the present they showered her with so much love that she started to take it for granted. She spent so much time hating her situation that she forgot to appreciate how hard the situation was for them.

The more Sakura thought of her boys the more she struggled in the grasp of the man who was trying to appear like a boyfriend who was attempting to make up with his girlfriend. He simply cooed over her acting like he was trying to appease her when it seemed to Sakura that he was enjoying making her uncomfortable. She was fed up with this man. She wanted to find Deidara, Sasuke, and Hidan and get away from creeps like him. She was scared though she would never admit it so she did what anyone would have done when it was time for fight or flight and the second was no longer an option. She kicked her attacker in the privates as hard as she could.

"You've done it now, you bitch!" He shouted between howls of agony. He raised a hand to smack her but that hand was caught by none other than Deidara. Deidara was obviously beyond livid. His chest was heaving with faint growling noises coming out now and then. His eyes were narrowed, but they were brighter and colder than Sakura had ever seen them. His usually cheerful expression was twisted into something caught between a scowl of hatred and a glare of unadulterated fury, but quickly morphed into a sadistic grin at the sight of the enemy's undiluted terror. The hand of that was going to strike Sakura was in a bone-crushing grip.

"Hidan why don't you and Sasuke go take Sakura to get our things? This place has a problem with garbage it seems, so I better clean up here before we leave." Deidara requested in an almost monotone. Sakura hadn't even noticed Sasuke and Hidan until they each put an arm around her. Sasuke held her shoulders while Hidan held her waist. When Sakura looked at the two of them they were _nearly_ as frightening as Deidara but not quite.

The lack of "yeah" was scary enough but the lack of tone was downright disturbing. This was Deidara for pity's sake! He was all about emotion and never ceased to express it with everything that he is. The fact that his voice took on the same tone as Itachi's made her worry about just what he was going to do to her attacker. She didn't think he would go so far as to kill him but from the way he was acting she couldn't rule out the possibility.

As if reading her thoughts Deidara turned to her and smiled. "Don't worry. We're just going to have a talk, man to man. I won't do anything that would cause trouble for all of us unless it's strictly self-defense. That's why I'm the one dealing with him and not Sasuke or Hidan. They couldn't hold themselves back even if they wanted to." Despite his smile his voice sounded like a growl now, but even that was a relief to Sakura. She couldn't handle an emo Deidara.

Before anymore could be said Deidara dragged the man out of the store. Everything passed in a daze from there. Sasuke and Hidan were silent as they escorted her to the register, got their things checked out, and went to pack them in the car. Finally after getting all their food put away, whacking Hidan for trying to get them to leave without Deidara, and waiting an additional ten minutes Deidara returned with a few shallow cuts and bruises. Sakura raised an eyebrow in question.

"It turns out that having a knife means very little if you have no clue how to use it yeah. That punk won't bother anyone for a while. The cops that interrupted our 'talk' looked pretty pissed when he tried to use the knife on them yeah." Deidara responded back to his usual cheerful self. Sakura rolled her eyes. After being engaged to 14 weirdoes nothing really surprised her anymore. She was about to climb into the driver's seat when Deidara pulled her into his arms.

"If something like that ever happens again, call for me yeah. I'll always protect you yeah." Deidara declared. As soon as he let her go he climbed into the back seat where he was pummeled by Hidan and glared at by Sasuke. Sakura just smiled, liking her boys and her guardian artist just a little bit more.


	7. A Touch of Love

A/N: I know. It's shocking that I'm updating at such a rate. Consider it my apology for leaving you hanging so long.

Disclaimer: I wish.

Chapter 7

A Touch of Love

"Shisui, I'll ask you one more time. Is this necessary?" Sakura deadpanned. She had come home to chaos as usual with Naruto shouting about whether or not she had been assaulted. This caused Hidan to lose his temper and run his mouth about the assault all the while beating the shit out of Naruto because he assumed the blonde had followed them. It wasn't long before the whole house was on lockdown. No she was not joking. They even assigned her guards. Shisui was one and he was ordered by the rest to get Sakura and run at the first sign of danger. Kimimaro was acting like a man on a mission for he was in charge of eliminating all threats. They'd both taken shameless advantage of their positions, grabbing her waist and pulling her close every time the house creaked (Kimimaro), embracing and reassuring her that they were there whenever she "seemed frightened" (Shisui), Carrying her up and down the stairs to avoid any chance of leg injury (Both), and so on.

Then Kimimaro thought he saw someone in the yard and Shisui made him go tell another of the guys. Kimimaro threatened to dismember him if Shisui tried something, and yet here he was trying something. "Sakura, it is not a mere necessity. It is absolutely imperative we follow you anywhere and everywhere to protect you from all harm!" Shisui exclaimed with a glint in his eye that Sakura knew and despised.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "In other words no matter what I say you intend to follow me into this bathroom?"

"That's exactly right." Shisui affirmed.

"HENTAI" Sakura screamed lashing out with a fierce fist. By the time the other guys arrived, all panicked at her shout, Shisui was out cold.

XXXXX

"I can't believe you." Sasuke hissed at his cousin. "Sakura could be traumatized, damn it, and here you are making things worse!" He emphasized his point by hitting the dinner table as hard as he could.

"Sasuke chill. I'm not traumatized but I am getting pissed off. If you break this table I'll give you the same thing I gave Shisui." Sakura stated in between bites of her dinner. Hidan then proceeded to start beating the hell out of her table, the damn masochist. Thankfully Pein put a stop to it with a sharp blow to the head. Hidan slumped in his chair, unconscious. When Sakura smiled at him in thanks he quickly looked down to play with his watch.

_He's been doing that a lot lately._ Sakura realized but merely shrugged it off as him being embarrassed. She looked over to Kimimaro who had been fully prepared to dismember Shisui exactly as he had promised. She stopped him from becoming a murderer when she yelled that in their mansion there was simply no need for all this security so knock it off. Now Kimimaro was looking like a kicked puppy as he stirred his soup as if he was contemplating a way to choke on it. Sakura rolled her eyes. _Men are impossible._ Sakura silently decided.

"Sakura are you sure you're alright?" Itachi asked for the third time since he dragged Shisui to the dinner table. (He was too beat up to make it on his own.) To the rest of the men Itachi seemed too calm for the situation at hand but to the Uchiha men, Itachi had never been so upset. They couldn't blame him though so his secret anxiety was safe for the time being.

"I swear I'm fine Itachi." Sakura replied.

"He can worry about you but I can't? How is that fair?" Shisui demanded.

"The reason is simple. Itachi is a gentleman. You, Shisui, are a pervert." Sakura replied without skipping a beat. They all had bantered like this hundreds of times at this very table. They knew each other better than anyone else in the world, but the men always wanted to know more about Sakura. This was especially true for Shisui. He _knew_ that for every single thing he learned about Sakura there were at least a hundred more things waiting to be discovered. He did his best to learn something new about Sakura every night and he delighted in every discovery.

Tonight wasn't the same though. As much as Sakura pretended and acted like it was the same, he realized from the way she barely touched her food, and how her hands shook slightly the last time she did, that shock was setting in. It pained him to see his lovely lady, his hime, his love, acting so strong when there was no doubt about how scared she was on the inside. His baby doll was hurting, and he sure as _hell_ would do something about it.

XXX

Sakura made her way up the stairs and into her room. She felt like she was ready to puke. Before today she had never felt weak or helpless, she'd never been so degraded and disrespected just because she was a woman. Although she had contemplated the fact that neither her nor her boys would be in such a strange mess if she were born male, she had never hated the fact that she was born female. It wasn't until today that she realized that if the men around her were different, if they were like the creep she had encountered today, they could have taken what they wanted from her and be done with it.

Being with them every day had become as natural as breathing. Their love for her had become the unchanging status quo and she treated it as such. She felt so ashamed of how conceited she had been, of how she treated their endless attentions as a nuisance. Just how much had she hurt them? Sakura shut her bedroom door behind her and locked it, her eyes shedding tears she had been holding back until now.

"I knew you were lying when you said you were fine." Shisui's baritone murmured in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his body into her from behind. Sakura tensed until it felt like she would snap from how tightly she was strung. However Shisui followed up his hold with something that left her totally shocked. He let go and apologized. "Sorry Sakura. I didn't mean to scare you. It's force of habit." He grinned at her in a light hearted way that was very like Shisui and yet not. "Let's start over. Baby," Shisui reached out and brushed a tear away with his thumb "if you need to cry, can I at least hold you until you can smile again? I promise I'll behave."

"Who are you and what've you done with Shisui?" Sakura deadpanned. Shisui looked her over for a moment and sighed. He went to sit on her bed and patted the spot beside him indicating he wanted her to sit as well. Sakura looked at him with nothing but suspicion. He sighed again.

"You seem to be under the impression that I can't go five minutes without attempting to ravish you."

"Is that not the case?" Sakura practically spat back remembering all the times the Uchiha had pushed her down onto couches, up against walls, and the time he tried to lay her across a reading table in the library looking at her with so much lust it frightened her.

"Did you know that I had never touched a woman in an amorous way before I met you?" Shisui suddenly stood up and approached with the steady stride of a man on a mission. Normally he would prowl towards her with the gaze of a predator, hungry and sharp. However at the moment he looked at her without desire burning in his obsidian eyes but with a passionate adoration. "Did you know that when I first fell in love with you I was so scared to touch you my hands would tremble at the mere thought of holding you? Touching you made me burn so hotly for more that the only way I could restrain myself was forcing myself to imagine what it would be like if you hated me. Touching you was painful, Sakura, due to how much I had to suppress myself. However _not_ touching you was so much worse. Eventually I decided to touch you as much as you would allow and pretty soon a love so strong it hurt became a love that only gave way to even more love."

Sakura looked at Shisui in stunned silence. She'd never seen him so willing to talk about what he was feeling. He looked deep into her eyes suddenly standing inches away from her. Moved in even closer, backing her into a wall and placing his forearms against the wall on either side of her head. He moved closer still until his lips brushed hers. Soft as butterfly wings he kissed her once, twice, thrice, carefully massaging her lips with his and never going any deeper. He kissed her like that until they had to breathe and when he pulled away he buried his face against her neck and hugged her to him. Before 2 minutes had passed Shisui was up and moving again and this time he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the other side of the massive master bedroom, stopping in front of the stereo.

"There's an Italian proverb that states 'He who is not impatient is not in love.' I say this because I'm always impatient with you trying to communicate my affection through touch and basically forcing my desires on you. I want you to realize that I've never been in love before, and the three words 'I love you' are so overused by scum who seek only the pleasures of a woman's bed that they have lost their power and meaning to most people. Being the most expressive Uchiha to come out of the clan of stone faces, I felt that actions speak louder than words so I used any and every excuse to make physical contact with you. The point is Sakura I love you so much and I will never stop trying to get you to love me back, but tonight I want to replace bad memories with good ones." He gently tugged on her arm until she was right next to him. He turned on the stereo and turned the volume down. Next he pulled out a CD he had stashed beneath it when he had come into Sakura's bedroom with a plan. A slow song drifted through the air and Shisui lifted their joined hands and began to dance with his Sakura.

Although he acted like a pervert and had a tendency to make her so angry and embarrassed she could die, Sakura had to admit that she could feel how much he loved her with every sway of their bodies as he led her through the steps. Despite knowing his devotion to her could not be measured with words or even his constant touches it somehow did not scare her. She wasn't scared at all. She merely cried into the shoulder of another of her complicated candidates until she could cry no more. When she looked up to find Shisui watching her intently she gave him a soft smile. He smiled back at her and when the song ended he scooped her up into his arms placed her on her bed. He kissed her one more time before leaving the room.

Shisui smiled as he shut the door remembering how his love for her had built up over time with every single thing he discovered about her. Before he knew it he was all over her all the time. Despite how she'd always give him a beating afterwards he couldn't stop touching her. It wasn't long before he realized there was no going back. Shisui chuckled at his own predicament. 13 was a large number when it came to love rivals and an unlucky one at that, but he was in way too deep to turn back now.


	8. Dueling Desires

A/N: Ri-chan is BACK! I'm certain that those reading this are largely unaware of how hard the last few months have been for me. I had some serious issues to address. (Itachi type issues. I'm not quite the stalker Pein is yet.) Seriously people those were dark days. So dark in fact that I actually DIDN'T want to write. For anyone who really knows me, you know that this is practically unheard of. (for me) I've had my share of not knowing what to write and being uncertain of the best way to say what I want to say. (You know, typical writer's block stuff However I have NEVER lacked the will to write until those dark days during the last month or three.) Here's a surprise treat for your patience! The night is done with the risen sun and I'm better than before. Rested and ready I'm solid and steady and now I'll write some more!

Chapter 8: Dueling Desires

When Sakura awoke the next morning it was to silver eyes with a purple tint, a smirk that was too beautiful to belong to a demon yet too dangerous to belong to an angel, and last but probably most important to the famished Sakura was the tray piled high with breakfast delights. As hungry as she was, she couldn't help blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

"You can cook?!" She breathed as if she had discovered the eighth wonder of the world. Neji Hyuuga, practically the god of the business world, and one of the top 30 sexiest men alive, could cook! What an incredible discovery!

He chuckled at her obvious wonder and delight. He practically preened as she dug in and sighed with pleasure. When Sakura let out a soft moan though, he had to put a stop to it, lest he lose his mind to desire.

Neji planted a quick kiss between bites, successfully stealing her attention from the food, for the moment anyway. He gave her a smirk that reminded her yes he was a fantastic businessman, but that wasn't all by a long shot. He knew what he had to work with and used every single weapon in his arsenal to get what he wanted. Sakura knew well enough that he'd wanted her for quite some time now.

-Flashback-

_Neji had been attempting to seduce her for 4 months. Sakura had been in the mansion for that exact amount of time. She knew he was playing with her. She didn't respond the way he expected. She was just like a brand new toy to him and she knew that very well. He wanted to push different buttons to see what would happen when he did. That was all it was._

_Until one day it escalated. Using the gentlemanly manners very nearly beaten into him (he opened every door, pulled out every chair, covered her with his jacket the minute she was too cold) he managed to find excuse after excuse to invade her bubble. After she tried to pay him back in kind with flirting and invading his personal space, hoping to drive him away, IT happened. She was reading over his shoulder to bug him so he stared hard at her to get back at her. Sakura was determined to not look at him until his fingers brushed some hair out of her eyes. She turned to look at him and was shocked at the look on his face. Neji had never expressed anything beyond mild amusement or annoyance. He looked at her now with stark lust combined with more passion than she thought him capable of. "Sweet, lovely Lamb, don't ever draw so close to a hungry wolf again, or you _will_ be devoured." Sakura blushed so hard she would probably glow in the dark. Neji leaned towards her as if to emphasize his point and Sakura ran for dear life. She may as well be locking the barn door after every animal escaped._

_Suggestive lines were the least of her worries. Neji appeared to enjoy a passive aggressive seduction. He never again touched her without permission, but he loved putting on shows for her. Whether it was eating, drinking, reading, typing, or even sleeping he turned it into something sexual. (The minute Neji decided to begin this game he took to sleeping anywhere in the mansion that Sakura might pass by.) _

_Neji always managed to find the right pose or angle to be seen from to look as sexy as possible. When reading he practically stroked the pages to turn them. When typing he would slow his fingers to soft rhythms that you could slow dance to, showing off the gentle, deft way he would push so softly that the keys seemed to yield to him of their own volition. He seemed to always manage a perfect profile when he tilted a glass to his lips, his head back just enough to emphasize the bob of his Adams apple, the width of his shoulders, the muscles of his chest. Eating was surprisingly the worst of it. The way his lips, teeth, tongue worked together to savor every morsel was pure sin. He made sure that she was more aware of his mouth than her own, as proven the time she fed a spoonful of ice cream to her cheek._

_Then there was the time, after a long day of work, she was going to shower to unwind. Impatient and exhausted she failed to make certain the bathroom was vacant and when she opened the door she found herself face to face with Neji clad in nothing but a towel hanging loosely on his hips while he was tying his hair back._

"_If I had known you were going to join me I would have prolonged my shower substantially." That was all he could get past his dark chuckle before she fled fearing more for her sanity and virtue than her life. As she made it halfway down the hall she skidded to a stop. Then she ran right back to him._

_Neji lifted an eyebrow in a show of surprise. Then she shocked him by actually showing an entirely female and completely carnal appreciation of his display of skin. She raked her eyes down and up his form before her gaze met his again. Neji thought she was giving in. Sakura smirked knowing it was exactly the opposite._

"_Neji would you be a dear and meet me down stairs once you are more," Her gaze slid to his chest and he was so aware of that look, it was nearly a caress. "Comfortable." She purred, actually purred at him, ending as she slowly turned and walked away. The purr wasn't husky or heavy with desire nor did it promise him anything. It was simply an intonation to express pure contentment at the sight. The word stretched like a cat scratched just right, arcing and delighting in the attention. Neji felt a similar delight at her sudden change in attitude which caught him off guard._

_Neji frowned. He didn't want her to be content with just looking and he hated that he was surprised by his own feelings. He wanted her to crave his touch. He hadn't cared one way or the other about her at first, but he had been curious. After watching her reactions to his flirting and attempting to find something repulsive or at the very least unpleasant about her, he'd come to realize he did, in fact, find her attractive. He still didn't consider himself in love, but as time went by and he started actively attempting to seduce her he found his own desire growing in response to her increased attention towards him._

_She knew he was deliberately driving her crazy. She never realized her desire fed his and he was being driven just as insane by her restraint. He had thought he could get it out of his system when he could have as much of her as he pleased. Now he wasn't sure he wanted to get it out of his system. He was already a fiancé candidate. He enjoyed her company and loved teasing her. He desired her and she obviously wanted him as well. Perhaps he should take her for his wife. The more Neji thought about it the more he realized that was exactly what he wanted to do. Even if they didn't love each other, a marriage with Sakura had a lot more than a political marriage could offer him. Marriages with less to build on had succeeded. They could make it work. With those pleasant thoughts in mind, Neji dressed slowly so as not to show Sakura just how eager he was to see what she had in mind for her surrender._

_Sakura knew from the victorious gleam in Neji's eyes that he believed he had won. That was good. If he didn't believe that he would be too cautious and she would never be able to pull off the stunt that would turn the tables on him. Ever since his little game began she'd been too preoccupied with running away and controlling her hormones to actually fight back. He'd driven her to the brink, until for just a fraction of a second she thought about what it might be like to give into his seduction._

_That was how her plan to retaliate started. It was a gamble. His attack had been brutal in every way but he had never touched her without permission. She was willing to bet every cent of her inheritance that he wouldn't touch her because his pride could never allow him to go where he wasn't wanted. That's why he did everything in his power to make her want that contact with him._

_Her diabolical plot was to force him into an internal battle against himself. It was his pride vs. his desires, and Sakura would feed those desires while still betting on his pride to come out on top. She was done fighting herself over Neji's little games. She would make damn sure that he knew exactly what he had put her through. If all went well he would never try it again simply because the price to pay was just too high._

_With those pleasant thoughts in mind she turned around only to find she was face to chest with the Hyuuga himself. He appeared very proud of himself and far too smug. She smirked, as her mind worked at light speed on how to set her plan in motion._

_Neji had ideas of his own though and since she didn't move right away, he decided he would. Yet as he reached for her she practically danced away until she was close but still just out of reach. His shock was monumental when she lifted her eyes to glare at him._

"_Neji, I know how to appreciate a good looking man, but that does not mean I've granted him permission to touch me. If that were the case this whole engagement plan of Grandma's would have torn me limb from limb by now. Therefore when I tell you not to touch me I expect you to be a gentleman about it." Sakura stated annunciating each word with precision to make certain there was no misunderstanding her words. _

_His eyes darkened with displeasure for a moment before his face turned to stone once more, carved by angels yet totally expressionless. He turned and Sakura thought for a moment he was trying to leave the room altogether. When instead he sat back in the most comfortable arm chair and gave her his full attention. She allowed relief to flash across her face momentarily._

_As Neji continued to scowl Sakura prowled towards him. When he maintained his sullen expression perfectly she couldn't help but laugh. His mood darkened, but when she opened her mouth to speak again he couldn't help but give her his attention. As she'd stated earlier, he's a gentleman._

"_Don't look so angry. If you want physical contact that badly you'll have it. It will simply be on my terms."_

-End Flashback-

True to her word Sakura had allowed him to touch her but only in the places she touched him. She had not compromised her modesty in any way, but she had teased him. Her hands had traced his face until even the most invisible contours were made known to her, keeping her hands tender and allowing him a small taste of what he had denied himself by refusing to touch her.

As her courage and confidence grew she traced her hands down his sides allowing both their hands to slide to each other's waists then hips before pulling their hands back up angling towards the bellybutton. Hands slid apart circling around to the back until it looked as though they were holding one another. She shocked him when her hands slid under his shirt to touch the bare skin of his back pausing so he could copy the action. Every time his hands moved in some way that she had not permitted, she pulled out of his arms and glared the message she was sending registered loud and clear.

One cry of displeasure from her and the other candidates would fly to her side and end the little game. Neji resented having the power taken from him so completely, while at the same time part of him was thrilled by the simple mystery of what would happen next. The pattern of face, sides, waist, hips, back, face again began to slowly eat away at Neji's control. Patterns were typically boring to the young man as once you got past the third repetition it was simply getting old. With Sakura it was completely different. Despite their hands tracing the pattern over and over again, Sakura could still take him by surprise by suddenly switching the pressure of her caresses. One moment they were strong and certain and the next they would become so light and teasing it was almost a punishment.

If she got tired the speed she would simply go slower or faster. The slower movement of her hands allowed Neji to savor her touch and would allow him to really get to feel her as well. She was so damn soft he felt like his touch would leave an imprint but her body was tight and toned and no matter the pressure he applied it her body would push right back against his hand in the most gentle way. When the speed increased he wanted to purr under the quick caresses and the additional friction warming him even beneath his clothes. Though admittedly, some of the warmth was undoubtedly coming from the rush of pleasure from simply touching her.

It went on until Neji was solidly addicted to the shared contact between them. Her touch was both a comfort and a drug, and when she pulled away altogether Neji was horrified to find himself putty in her hands. The absence of her hands plunged his overly hot skin into ice cold clarity and for a moment he thought the abrupt change had stopped his heart.

He looked at her and he knew, he just knew, that she had successfully turned the results of his seduction back on him. While she had been so giving of her touch she was also taking her fill of him. Every visual he had teased her with may as well be null and void. He_ was_ putty in her hands. She had used the alternating pressures to mold and shape him. All the while she studied his reaction and made certain he received as much pleasure as humanly possible from such simple contact, and by doing so she had ruined him. No matter how many women threw themselves they would never be enough. They would never be Sakura.

Sakura had learned exactly what he liked and used every careful brush of skin to tie him to her. He was dismayed for the same clarity that brought him this realization brought two others. One was that he had fallen completely and irreversibly in love with Sakura Haruno. The second was that there were 13 other men who quite likely felt the same.

Despite the pain those facts brought him it had never slowed him down his pursuit of her. Be it anywhere from 13 to 100 other fiancé candidates Neji was determined and confident in his own abilities to emerge the victor. In his mind if he couldn't prove himself the best of the selection he was unworthy of her.

As she ate he filled the silence with talks of his beliefs and values, asking only that she offer her opinions and observations when she finished her meal. Then she surprised as she always did. He had just received a phone call from work telling him that he was needed. Her question was lightning out of the blue.

"Neji, you had no choice but to take over your uncle's company, right? I've always wondered what you would choose to do if you didn't have that obligation. What's your dream job?" She inquired with an innocent curiosity and adorable tilt of her head.

He hesitated. No one had ever asked the Hyuuga such a question. He'd inherited a massive fortune and multi-million dollar company. What right did he have to talk about a dream that had almost no chance of coming true? He looked at Sakura again. Her eyes held open curiosity over a layer of compassion. He could no longer focus on his hesitation.

It was a rare moment when her gorgeous eyes were so focused on him alone. He would give her anything she asked of him even when she wasn't concentrating the power of her gaze on him, but when directed at him he lost any and all will to even attempt to resist.

"I've always wanted to work with horses. I would love to make a living by breeding them, training them, showing them, and such." Neji explained with a light blush on his face.

"You're an animal lover?" Sakura felt such a mix of stunned compassion and resignation. A plan was already forming in her mind to help Neji with his dream, and she knew she would help him. Neji Hyuuga disliked many things but the one thing he hated more than anything in the world was showing his own vulnerability. If possible he would never allow anyone to see him in such a state, especially those he cared about. To show someone vulnerability gives them the power to wound your heart, and the more that person means to you the deeper the wound can be.

"Ugh, you make me sound like Kiba. I don't love animals but I do like horses." Neji snapped her out of her thoughts with his disgruntled reply. "Anyway it'll probably never happen so can we drop it?" He requested feigning anger just so she would comfort him. This was Sakura though, and one of the countless things he had come to love about her was that she never failed to surprise him.

"Don't close any doors Neji. Possibilities are as limitless as the sky and there is always a tomorrow." With that said she finished her breakfast and took the tray downstairs while Neji reeled from her revelation.


End file.
